The embodiments herein relate generally to a system for improving the placement of wall coatings to a wall, and more specifically to a system for securing wire lath or the like to the wall prior to the application of coating.
In the construction of many building surfaces, it is desired to apply a durable coating other than paint to the surfaces, for both aesthetic and functional purposes. Such coatings include stucco and plaster, both of which are applied in a wet cement-like consistency. To enhance the durability of the coating and to assist in the efficiency of the application, wire lath is often used, upon which the coating is applied. To make the wire lath useful, it must be applied to the wall in a manner such that it remains spaced from the wall, so that the coating is applied so that it covers the wall and entirely envelops the wire lath. It is further desired that a sheet of protective material also be applied directly to the wall to help seal the interior of the building.
Numerous efforts have been made in the past to support the wire lath on the wall in a manner that it remains secure against movement during application of the coating, but is spaced evenly away from the wall. Most involve pre-formed wire clips that are nailed to the wall prior to the application of lath. Sheets of wire lath are then secured to the clips, usually by tie wire or the like. Channel pieces are also used to provide spaced support of the lath sheets on the wall.
The present invention presents an alternative array of embodiments that provide efficient and easy application of lath supports for use on a wall to be coated. At least some of the advantages of the embodiments of the present invention eliminate the need for double labor—that of applying the lath support to the wall, and that of tie wiring the lath to the lath support. Other advantages will be appreciated by the person of ordinary skill in the art from the description below.